Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring an SEO Manager

In today's digital landscape, an effective SEO Manager can dramatically impact a company's online visibility, traffic, and ultimately, revenue. However, identifying the right candidate requires more than just reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews. The complex nature of SEO demands practical demonstration of skills that go beyond theoretical knowledge.

Work samples provide a window into how candidates approach real-world SEO challenges. They reveal not just technical proficiency, but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. For SEO Manager candidates, these exercises help evaluate their ability to analyze data, identify opportunities, develop actionable strategies, and communicate complex concepts to stakeholders.

The best SEO professionals combine analytical thinking with creativity, technical knowledge with strategic vision, and individual expertise with collaborative skills. Traditional interviews often fail to capture these multifaceted abilities. By incorporating targeted work samples into your hiring process, you can observe candidates applying their skills to scenarios similar to those they'll face in the actual role.

The following four exercises are designed to comprehensively assess the essential competencies of an SEO Manager. From technical audits to strategic planning, data analysis to cross-team collaboration, these activities will help you identify candidates who can truly drive organic search performance and contribute to your organization's digital success.

Activity #1: Technical SEO Audit and Prioritization

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to identify technical SEO issues, understand their impact on search performance, and develop a prioritized action plan. Technical SEO forms the foundation of any successful organic search strategy, and a skilled SEO Manager must be able to quickly spot problems and determine which fixes will deliver the greatest impact.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a simplified technical audit report of your website (or a sample website if preferred) with 10-15 issues of varying severity. Include issues like slow page speed, missing meta descriptions, broken links, mobile usability problems, and duplicate content.
• If you don't have an existing audit, use a tool like Screaming Frog, Semrush, or Ahrefs to generate one, then select a representative sample of issues.
• Provide the candidate with access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics data (or sample data) for the site.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.
• Have a technical team member available to answer any clarifying questions about the website architecture.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided technical audit report and supporting analytics data.
• Identify the top 5 technical issues that should be addressed first, based on their potential impact on search performance.
• For each issue, provide:

1. A brief explanation of why the issue matters for SEO
2. The potential impact on search rankings and user experience
3. A recommended approach to fix the issue
4. An estimate of the level of effort required

• Prepare a one-page implementation roadmap that outlines the sequence and timeline for addressing all identified issues.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate presents their prioritization and roadmap, provide feedback on one aspect they handled well (e.g., correctly identifying high-impact issues) and one area for improvement (e.g., considering implementation complexity or dependencies).
• Ask the candidate to revise their roadmap based on the feedback, giving them 10 minutes to make adjustments.
• Observe how they incorporate the feedback and whether they can justify their revised approach.

Activity #2: Keyword Research and Content Strategy Development

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to conduct effective keyword research, identify content opportunities, and develop a strategic content plan aligned with business objectives. It demonstrates their understanding of search intent, competitive landscape, and content optimization principles.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a product category or service offering for which you want to improve organic visibility.
• Provide the candidate with:

1. A brief description of the product/service and its target audience
2. Current ranking data for 5-10 related keywords (if available)
3. Links to 2-3 competitor websites for reference
4. Basic business goals for the product/service (e.g., increase leads, boost online sales)

• Allow 60 minutes for this exercise.
• Prepare a computer with access to keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or even free tools like Google Keyword Planner.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Conduct keyword research to identify 15-20 valuable target keywords for the product/service, including:

1. High-volume competitive terms
2. Long-tail opportunities
3. Question-based keywords

• Group the keywords by search intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional).
• Develop a content strategy that includes:

1. 5 specific content recommendations (new or optimized pages) with target keywords
2. Brief outlines for 2 of the recommended content pieces
3. Suggestions for internal linking structure
4. Metrics to track success

• Prepare a brief presentation explaining your approach and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate presents their strategy, provide feedback on one strength (e.g., thorough keyword research) and one area for improvement (e.g., better alignment with business goals).
• Ask the candidate to refine one of their content outlines based on the feedback, giving them 15 minutes to make adjustments.
• Evaluate their ability to incorporate feedback while maintaining a strategic focus.

Activity #3: SEO Performance Analysis and Recommendations

This exercise evaluates a candidate's analytical skills, ability to interpret SEO data, identify trends, and develop data-driven recommendations. It demonstrates their proficiency with analytics tools and their capacity to translate complex data into actionable insights.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset that includes:

1. 6 months of organic traffic data (overall and for key landing pages)
2. Ranking changes for 10-15 important keywords
3. Conversion rates from organic traffic
4. Basic competitor performance data

• You can use actual data with sensitive information removed or create a realistic sample dataset.
• Introduce some clear patterns or issues in the data (e.g., traffic drops for specific pages, seasonal fluctuations, ranking losses for certain keywords).
• Provide access to a computer with spreadsheet software and basic visualization tools.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided SEO performance data to identify key trends, opportunities, and concerns.
• Create 2-3 simple visualizations that highlight the most important findings.
• Develop a list of 5 actionable recommendations based on your analysis, including:

1. The specific issue or opportunity addressed
2. Recommended actions with brief implementation details
3. Expected impact and how it would be measured
4. Approximate timeline for implementation and results

• Prepare a brief presentation of your analysis and recommendations as if you were presenting to marketing leadership.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate presents their analysis, provide feedback on one strength (e.g., insightful data interpretation) and one area for improvement (e.g., more specific recommendations).
• Ask the candidate to elaborate on one of their recommendations based on the feedback, giving them 10 minutes to develop a more detailed implementation plan.
• Evaluate their ability to think critically about implementation challenges and measurement approaches.

Activity #4: Cross-Team SEO Collaboration Simulation

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to communicate SEO concepts to non-specialists, collaborate with other teams, and advocate for SEO best practices. It demonstrates their leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills in cross-functional settings.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a scenario that involves a common cross-team SEO challenge, such as:

1. Convincing developers to implement technical SEO recommendations
2. Working with content creators to improve content for SEO
3. Collaborating with UX designers on a site redesign
4. Educating product managers about SEO implications of product changes

• Create role cards for 2-3 team members who will role-play other stakeholders (e.g., developer, content manager, UX designer).
• Brief these team members on their characters' perspectives, concerns, and objections.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario and prepare for a cross-team meeting to address the SEO challenge.
• During the meeting:

1. Clearly explain the SEO considerations relevant to the scenario
2. Listen to and address concerns from other team members
3. Find collaborative solutions that balance SEO needs with other priorities
4. Establish next steps and responsibilities

• Your goal is to gain buy-in for SEO best practices while respecting the constraints and priorities of other teams.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role-play, provide feedback on one communication strength (e.g., clear explanation of technical concepts) and one area for improvement (e.g., more active listening).
• Ask the candidate to revisit one challenging moment from the simulation, giving them 5-10 minutes to try a different approach based on the feedback.
• Evaluate their adaptability, receptiveness to feedback, and ability to adjust their communication style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much time should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

A: Each exercise requires 45-60 minutes, plus time for feedback and discussion. Consider spreading them across different interview stages or selecting the 1-2 most relevant exercises for your specific needs. The Technical SEO Audit and Keyword Research exercises are particularly valuable for assessing core SEO skills.

Q: What if we don't have access to our actual SEO data to share with candidates?

A: You can create anonymized datasets based on your actual data with sensitive information removed. Alternatively, use sample datasets from SEO tools or create realistic mock data. The candidate's approach to analysis is often more important than the specific data they're working with.

Q: How should we evaluate candidates who use different SEO tools than we do?

A: Focus on their methodology and strategic thinking rather than proficiency with specific tools. Good SEO professionals can adapt to different tools if they understand the underlying principles. Consider allowing candidates to use tools they're familiar with, or provide a brief orientation to your preferred tools before the exercise.

Q: Should we expect candidates to complete these exercises during the interview or as take-home assignments?

A: These exercises work best as in-person or virtual live sessions where you can observe the candidate's process and thinking. However, the Keyword Research and SEO Performance Analysis exercises can be adapted as take-home assignments if necessary. If using take-home formats, add a presentation component where candidates explain their approach.

Q: How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from different SEO backgrounds?

A: Provide clear context and instructions, and be open to different approaches that may reflect varied SEO philosophies or experiences. The best candidates will be able to explain their reasoning, even if their specific recommendations differ from your current practices. Consider the candidate's adaptability and learning potential alongside their demonstrated skills.

Q: How should we weight these exercises compared to traditional interview questions?

A: Work samples typically provide more reliable indicators of on-the-job performance than interview questions alone. Consider giving these exercises significant weight (40-60%) in your overall evaluation, while using traditional interviews to assess cultural fit, career motivation, and other qualitative factors.

In today's competitive digital landscape, hiring the right SEO Manager can significantly impact your organization's online visibility and growth. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll be able to identify candidates who not only understand SEO principles but can apply them effectively to drive measurable results.

For more resources to help you build a comprehensive hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also find a complete SEO Manager job description template at https://yardstick.team/job-description/seo-manager.

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